Facebook Use May Distort Perception of Time

Just as smartphones and tablets award us modern convenience, with access to the internet and solving complex tasks right from our fingertips; and being some of the benefits of this technology age. However, several downsides are attached. A very crucial example of the downsides is the latest finding by researchers at the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom – the bad side of Facebook use.

Authors of the new study profess that the increasing prevalence of the use of Facebook may distort our perception of time – Underestimation of time greater when viewing Facebook-related images. Previous studies also have it, that frequent Facebook use may raise the risk of depression and other mental health disorders, such as addiction.

To investigate how internet and Facebook use impacts time perception, study authors Lazaros Gonidis and Dr. Dinkar Sharma presented various images to 44 study participants (adults) under a defined different lengths of time. Images comprise those associated with internet in general, those that are specifically related to Facebook, and generic control images.

The study participants were asked whether they had seen the image for a short or long period of time.

The researchers found that participants were more likely to underestimate the amount of time spent viewing Internet- and Facebook-related images, compared with when they viewed the control images. Facebook-related images were associated with the greatest distortion in time perception, writes Honor Whiteman of MedicalNewsToday.

We found evidence that Internet- and Facebook-related stimuli can distort time perception due to attention- and arousal-related mechanisms, researchers conclude.